Conveyer means for blue-print developing and drying apparatus.



T. W. HOLGOMB. GONVEYEB. MEANS FOR BLUE PRINT DEVELOPING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1913. 1,12 37, Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. W. HOLCOMB. GONVEYER MEANS FOR BLUE PRINT DEVELOPING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1913.

1,126,637. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

, SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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T. W. HOLOOMB.

CONVEYER MEENS FOR BLUE PRINT DEVELOPING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1913. 1, 1 26,637. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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THOMAS W. HOLCOMB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVEYER MEANS FOR BLUE-PRINT DEVELOPING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

masses.

Application filed March 21, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS W. HoLooMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyor Means for Blue-Print Developing and Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in that class of apparatus designed particularly for the finishing of blue prints, or similar sensitized paper, said apparatus embodying developing and drying mechanisms whereby the paper may be fed into the machine either in a continuous strip or in separate sheets, issuing from the machine completely finished.

An object of the invention is to provide a special form of conveyer mechanism designed to guide and support the paper through the bath and around the heating member, said supporting function limiting the sagging of the paper under the weight of its bath in the developing action of the machine.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, portions being broken away to show more clearly the details of construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken about on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing in front elevation the drying mechanism of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the yieldable supporting fingers secured to the guiding conveyers. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the intermediate transferring conveyers. Fig. 7 is 'a perspective view of the trough-like paper guide. Fig. 8 is a side view of the conveyer device alone.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Specifically describing my invention and referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tank or reservoir to contain the developing bath for the blue print paper 2 which is fed into the tank 1 in the form of a continuous Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 755,991.

strip or separate sheets around the feed roller or cylinder 3, said cylinder being disposed within the reservoir 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, upon the shaft 4, having its bearings preferably in the sides of said reservoir. The cylinder 3 may be of wood or metallic material and has secured to its ends large driving sprockets 5 while the shaft 4 has secured thereto a sprocket or gear wheel 6 around which passes a driving chain 7. Said chain 7 also passes around a sprocket of similar size secured to the shaft 8 upon which is mounted a metallic drying roll or cylinder 9. Also carried by said shaft 8 is a second sprocket 10 around which passes the driving chain 11 which is operably connected to any conventional source of power 12, best seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.

From the foregoing. it will be obvious that the cylinders 3 and 9 are simultaneously driven and the paper 2 passing around the cylinder 3 is held in juxtaposed relation to said cylinder by means of an endless guiding apron or conveyer 13. This conveyer 13 is composed of a pair of chains or endless belting connected transversely by means of a plurality of slats or bars 14, said chains passing around a set of sprocket wheels 15, there being preferably, as shown in the drawings, four arranged at each end of the cylinder 3. The lowermost of these sprock ets 15 are disposed within the developing bath and the conveyer passes beneath the same, then upwardly around the upper set of sprockets. and finally around beneath the lar e drive sprockets 5.

The conveyer 13, as will be obvious from Fig. 1 of the drawings, is thus arranged in spaced relation to the feed roller 3 and to hold the paper, as well as guide the same around said roller, I preferably provide each of the bars 14 with a plurality of guiding fingers 16 arranged in staggered relation. as seen in Fig. 2, said fingers being adiustably secured to the bars so as to permit their proper disposition upon the conveyer. Each of these fingers, furthermore, has mounted in its free end a roller bearing 16 against which the paper rests as it is supported by said fingers in its travel around the roll 3, the contact of the paper with the fingers being of a yieldable nature, by virtue of the mounting of said fingers on the conveyer so as to permit the expansion of the paper as it absorbs the moisture from the bath while, at the same time, limiting ghehsagging action due to the weight of its Arranged adjacent to the developing mechanism heretofore described, is the drying mechanism comprising the cylinder 9 hereinbefore mentioned, mounted upon the shaft 8 which has its bearings in a suitable frame 17.. The drying cylinder 9 is provided with large drive sprockets 18 secured to each end, around which passes a second guiding conveyer 19 constructed and arranged to pass around a plurality of sprockets 20 just as described with respect to the conveyer 13. The conveyer 19 is also provided with yielding fingers 21 arranged to guide and hold the paper against or ad jacent to the drying cylinder 9 around which it passes until it issues from the machine in a trough-like receptacle 22, where it may be rolled or passes around a roller 23 carried by the supporting brackets 24. As the paper 2 reaches the rear uppermost portionof the feed roller 3, it is taken therefrom by the guide plate 25 arranged between the developing and drying mechanisms and supported by the framework in any desired manner. This plate is preferably curved and slotted at its lower edge portion so as to provide a plurality of elongated fingers similar to the construction of the upper edge portion 22 of the troughlike receptacle 22, shown best in Fig. 7 of the drawings, said edge portion 22 contacting with the cylinder 9 so as to guide the paper therefrom as it issues from the drying mechanism.

The intermediary conveyer means is disposed between the developing and drying mechanism and comprises a plurality of endless belts 26 which pass around pulleys 27 mounted in the end portions of the arms 28 secured upon a transverse rod 29 which latter is supported by means of the standards 30 disposed at each side of the drying mechanism. The paper passes over the intermediary conveyer to the driving cylinder 9 and in order that the excess moisture of the bath may be pressed from the paper, I dispose a roller 31 immediately beneath the cylinder 9, said roller being mounted upon the arms 32 which are actuated by the springs 33 to provide suflicient tension as the paper passes between said roller and cylinder 9 to squeeze the water or moisture therefrom. Any suitable heating means for the drying cylinder 9 may be provided but, as illustrated, a burner 9 is disposed within the same to which is supplied gas, through the pipe 9, shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of the machine will be clear from th fglegoing description and it will be eadily understood tha here the paper is fed into the machine in long continuous strips, it would be possible to dispose of the endless conveyers l3 and 19 but, in my preferred embodiment, these conveyers are especially designed to prevent the likelihood of damage to the paper as it passes through the developing tank in the developing mechanism, and alsoto hold said paper in close contact as it is guided around the drying cylinder of the drying mechanism.

Slight changes may readily be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit of the same, and within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a

feeding roller, driving means therefor, a

guiding conveyer cooperating with said roller to guide a print and limit sagging of the same as it passes around the roller, and supporting means carried by the conveyer to hold the print juxtaposed with respect to 1 '3 the roller.

2. In a machine of the class described, a feeding roller, driving means therefor, a guiding conveyer cooperating with said roller to guide a print and limit sagging of the same as it passes around the roller, and

, yieldable supporting means carried by the conveyer to hold the print juxtaposed with respect to the roller.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

feeding roller, driving means therefor, an endless guiding conveyer disposed in spaced relation to the roller, and means on said conveyer for yieldably supporting a print and guiding the same around the roller.

4:. In a machine of the class described, a feeding roller, driving means therefor, and an endless guiding conveyer disposed in spaced relation to the roller, said conveyer comprising transverse bars and a plurality of yieldable supporting fingers carried by the bars to hold a print and guide the same around the roller.

5. In a machine of the class described, a

feeding roller, driving means therefor, and

an endless guiding conveyer disposed in spaced relation to the roller, said conveyer comprising a plurality of spaced fingers adjustably mounted thereupon and arranged in staggered relation to each other, said fingers constituting the supporting means to limit sagging of a print and guide the same around the roller.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. HOLGOMB. Witnesses:

ARTHUR G, B RRoUeHs,

WILLIAM C. SCHNABEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing 'the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

